Florida!

Don’t miss some of Florida’s most influential people who will be here in Boca Grande to speak on the political, environmental and economic status of the Sunshine State. This season’s Florida! program will help us gain a deeper understanding of the issues we face and how we can be an instrumental part in creating a brighter future for Florida. We are pleased to promote relevant programs from the Boca Grande Historical Society and the Lee County Parks and Recreation Department, which are also planning programs of interest on this topic.

Straight Talk About Florida’s Future

Featuring Adam Putnam, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture

The state of Florida faces many challenges that, if disregarded, will adversely affect Florida’s future. Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam, works to overcome these challenges as a member of the Cabinet alongside the governor, attorney general and chief financial officer. The commissioner has fostered many positive outcomes in his work and continues to focus on Florida’s future, its potential and the priorities he sees for it. These priorities include the health and management of Florida’s water resources, growth in population and the economy, agriculture, health care and education. Commissioner Putnam will discuss available choices for these issues and how the conflicts can be resolved. He will also address strategic priorities that he sees for Florida, what actions are needed, and how he sees these being implemented.

Florida – The Forgotten Coast

Be a part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor expedition team and join us for a special screening of the documentary, The Forgotten Coast: Return to Wild Florida. Following the film, stay for an engaging panel discussion on the need to protect the missing links in the corridor, preserve Florida’s waters, and sustain working lands and rural economies from the Everglades to Georgia and Alabama.

3:30pm Documentary

The Forgotten Coast: Return to Wild Florida
Following in the footsteps of a wandering Florida black bear, three friends leave civilization and become immersed in a vast and unexplored wildlife corridor stretching from the Everglades to the Florida-Alabama border. The rugged thousand-mile journey by foot, paddle and bike traverses Florida’s Forgotten Coast – a wilderness that has the potential to transform the way we see the natural world.

Thank you to Grizzly Creek Films and WUSF Public Media for making this film possible.

The Florida Forecast – One Day Workshop

Class is now in session! From the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Competitiveness, spend a day with Dr. Sean Snaith and other industry experts. Attendees will receive comprehensive economic information that is vital to the agricultural, government and business communities.

11:00am – The Economic Story of Florida

An award-winning economic forecaster, researcher and professor, Sean Snaith applies academic expertise to solve real-world problems. In his lecture, Sean will review Florida’s economic history, how it looks today by itself and within the context of the national economy. He will also identify the major challenges foreseeably over the next ten years.

Snaith is a member of several economic organizations and national economic forecasting panels, including The Wall Street Journal‘s Economic Forecasting Survey, the Associated Press’ Economy Survey, CNNMoney.com’s Survey of Leading Economists, USA Today‘s Survey of Top Economists, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Survey of Professional Forecasters, Bloomberg and Reuters.

2:30pm – Inside the Mind of Florida Industry Experts

Join nationally recognized economist Dr. Sean Snaith as he presides over a panel of experts focusing on the status and issues facing Florida’s leading industries: agriculture, tourism and development.